The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel by Haruki Murakami Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel
Book Review: Enter the world of Torn Okada, Malta Kano and Noboru Wataya
Summary: 5 Stars
I stumbled upon Murakami by chance and couldn't believe how I'd missed this outstanding novelist. The book explores themes such as loss, isolation, human cruelty of both the mental and phyiscal kind, secrets, mysticism and weird and wonderful tales from a very strange mind. The best book I'ver read in ages and has got me off reading the rest of his works.Book Review: One of the Great Novels of the 20th Century?
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the first Murakami novel I read, and it remains the best (above NW, Sputnik Sweetheart, or Underground). What this reminds me of more than anything is Twin Peaks.A man is comfortable in his seemingly humdrum life until he starts to investigate the case of his wife's missing cat. As the layers start to peel back, he slowly discovers that the world is following the logic of a kind of Japanese dreamtime... and as he follows the signs and symbols of this madness, he is drawn to ANOTHER PLACE... the mysterious hotel, and the nightmare figure that stalks it.
A novel of shadows that bite you.
Book Review: i felt tired for the human race, reading this one
Summary: 3 Stars
murakami, as usual, creates a world of blinkered human beings struggling to find purpose in their lives. and when they do, the meaning ain't plain to the reader. this particular book made me feel as tired and world-weary as the main character - i too felt like resigning from my job and lying on the sofa all day in a listness, have-a-beer-and-a sandwich-kind-of-way. however what murakami conveys, through what is an extraordinary story about ordinary people, is the very truth of our existence here on earth - hum-drum, magical, and always elusive.Book Review: I have never read a book like this ever
Summary: 5 Stars
It mixes the trivialities of living ... going to the clothes cleaners, not having the collection ticket, what to cook for lunch, what candies you like to eat, with the brutality of the war between Japan and the Soviet Union, with people who create dreams in which they come to you and all this subsumed to the story of Okada his missing wife. Believe me, this book will worm its way into you mind.Hey, this is not a difficult book to read. And it is exciting, enjoyable and haunting.
I suggest you buy it, yesterday, maybe, but buy it
Book Review: Very Disappointing
Summary: 1 Stars
This was my first book by Mr. Haruki Murakami. The story and reviews promised a great read, but the book hardly delivered. The book starts well: The main character is currently unemployed with a lot of time on his hands to reflect on life (his and others) and on the past (his and Japan's). Instead, the book is cluttered with ridiculously banal events which hardly offer any great intellectual insights. The two kano sisters looks like they belong in a mental hospital, and I found it hard to believe that a 16-year old like May Kasahara could be so introspective.There is an interesting part where patches of the Japanese war in Mongolia and China are described. However, after having dragged the reader into a well and across walls of imagination, the war events sound so unreal and trivial (like the kano sisters). This is a shame since the events have probably occurred and the author mentions many books on the subject in his bibliography.
Maybe I have missed something or things got lost in the translation from Japanese to English, but somehow I doubt it!!!